Runyararo Chibota (Masters)

Current Position

Masters Student at the University of Cape Town

Research Title

Assessing Participatory Mechanisms in the Water and Sanitation Sector

Research Overview

The research examines the current public participatory mechanisms used to engage communities in the water and sanitation sector of six rural towns. The six case study towns are all located in two rural municipalities in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. This study aims to explore the various participatory mechanisms used and investigate whether these mechanisms are perceived by rural citizens as attaining the desired outcomes of public participation. Using an evaluation framework proposed by Beierle's (1998), the paper explores the various participatory mechanisms used and then further investigated which mechanisms were perceived by rural citizens as attaining the desired goals of public participation. The findings of the study assisted in identifying which mechanisms were considered the most ideal by rural South African citizens to engage them in the public participation process pertaining to water and sanitation.

Key Themes

Public Participation; Water and Sanitation Management; Citizen Engagement"

Qualifications  

BA in Social Work (University of Cape Town); Honours in Social Development (University of Cape Town)

Home Country  

Zimbabwe